Johnson & Starley blown hot air central heating issues

cyclonebri1

Hi, maybe someone here can help.
DH has recently moved into a very large bungalow, built 1991 I think so this is probably the original heating system.

It's as above, a Hi Spec J-65 system.

The bungalow is due to be totally re-built in about 4 months so this is all very short term. The heating will be replaced with a more conventional wet system at that time so any work has to be cost effective.

The problem(s).

Most importantly, DH and hubby have suffered constant chest and throat issues since moving inabout 5 weeks ago, I was there an hour today and left coughing.

No maintenance records are found for the system.

Secondly the gas fired boiler appears to be plumbed into the heating coil of the HWC, but only heats luke warm, HW is on imersion heater at present.

Loads of pots of water with sponges in them to raise humidity aren't having any real effect, we think it's dust.



So, before I try to contact the manf if they still exist, does anyone have any experience in this field?

My own experience is with industrial units of mega size, not domestic.
However these always had modulation vanes that allowed a percentage of outside air to be drawn into the system.
This was to allow the combustion fumes to be evacuated from the building under positive pressure.
But the point is there was a battery of filters in the system, does this have them?

Any help on the secondary point would be helpful but again, it's the air quality that is the real issue.

Would a full service include pressurisation and vacuming of the ductwork, which is where I feel the issue lies.

Thanks for any help here, I know it's a little specialised.

WobblyDog

My Mum has a house with Johnson & Starley hot air system, though not that particular one. It heats the house quickly, but is not efficient compared to modern systems.

I downloaded the user manual and technical installation/maintenance guide from the J&S website (they still exist). Spares are fairly easy to get from various Internet retailers. If there are other houses nearby with similar systems (sometimes whole streets have them) it's likely that the local gas technicians will be familiar with them.

My Mum's heater has a big easily removable steel mesh filter that the manual says must be washed every 2 weeks. The pipe loop between the heater and the hot water tank works on a thermo-syphon principle, with no pump. She also has a battery-powered CO alarm, just in case.

If the system is causing health problems and is going to be scrapped soon, why not just buy a bunch of oil-filled electric radiators and put aside a few hundred pounds for the increased electricity bill?

Furts

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Any help on the secondary point would be helpful but again, it's the air quality that is the real issue.

Would a full service include pressurisation and vacuming of the ductwork, which is where I feel the issue lies.
.

It's outside my knowledge though a previous home had ducted warm air heating. The ducts were leaky - there was no sealing of joints, and there was years of household dust in the ducts. Also the grills fitted to the walls with foam seals which had all degraded with age. However,the main problem was people did not clean the filters, hence the dust build up in the ducts.

With regards pressurisation I do not see this working. Standards in house building have never been good, and there is still no requirement for testing these systems. Indeed, in reality, they are still fitted with no checks and signing off. Your system pre dates any notion of any signing off and testing by house builders. Hence it is an unknown - it may be good, or it may be poor.

southcoastrgi

!!!!!! cy turn it off until you can get it looked at by an RGI, you need someone with warm air on their GS reg NOT just boilers, it takes it's air from the room it's in & normally the fumes go out through the loft & outside via a ridge tile, if not serviced & maintained these things are b1oody dangerious

check the ventalation going into the room hasn't been blocked off

wallbash

Well I have the above system. Its a marmite set up . love it loathe it.
We love it .

Most importantly, DH and hubby have suffered constant chest and throat issues since moving inabout 5 weeks ago, I was there an hour today and left coughing.

Can be a very dry atmosphere ( makes a change when half the threads on this board is about damp/mould)

is there was a battery of filters in the system

Just the one already mentioned.

So, before I try to contact the manf if they still exist,

They are VERY helpful

Would a full service include pressurisation and vacuming of the ductwork, which is where I feel the issue lies.

No and No.

Also the grills fitted to the walls with foam seals which had all degraded with age.

Never had any foam seals.

Indeed, in reality, they are still fitted with no checks and signing off. Your system pre dates any notion of any signing off and testing by house builders. Hence it is an unknown - it may be good, or it may be poor.

That post was so wrong , don't even know where to start.

check the ventalation going into the room hasn't been blocked off

Should have one high and one low LARGE grills very close to the boiler , both from the same room

we think it's dust.

Why ? Dry yes ......... but is the house already very dusty?
We suffer NO dust.
Well thats untrue .........do you remember Buncefield explosion a few years ago? The site is only a few miles away and the blast of air that Sunday Morning , blew the side of the bath off, lifted the loft hatch and whistled thru the Ducting ...that did cause a 'little' dust'


My qualification for this post ..........I live with the system . My guess its ALL down to such a dry atmosphere.

torbrex

I have gas-warm air heating as well and i love it :T

Clean the intake port of dust, the fan should also be removable and you should clean that out as well.

Check all the outlets and make sure that they are clean and open.

Keep window vents open if you have them, this helps with the dry air circulating.

As for the hot water, you should be able to pre-set the temperature that the system is set for, I know mine has a sliding switch behind the control panel cover.

wallbash

Well have just dragged out my service manual and I see my boiler was replaced back in 1998. Looked thru all the paper work, a number of pages and the ONLY thing they keep repeating ........ keep the large air vents clear.

The system does NOT cause dust.

post #4

if not serviced & maintained these things are b1oody dangerious

No more dangerous than any other gas boiler. All should be maintained but to single out a J/S warm system as potentially more dangerous is VERY wrong.

McKneff

You should all just stop.


Warm air ducted heating is just the best thing I have ever come across.


you walk into your house, brrrr. turn your heating up. warm air.... you are warm in seconds.
you have radiators,,, wander round in you scarves and coats for half an hour....I wouldn't swap....

wallbash

I think the OP should have a chat with the neighbors, chances are that they will also have the same set up. Invite them in , give them a glass of wine and ask their opinion. Also they will have recommendations for a service engineer.
I have heard that British Gas is one to avoid , to often the guy set out is not qualified for the specialist undertaking.
I'm lucky,the one man firm who looks after the system, is the son of the guy who actually installed it.
My last service , late Oct cost me £65 plus Vat.
The only two items I have to replace in ten years , was the circuit board , which was a 30 sec job ........but a pricy £200 part. The other was thermostat.

Back to the OP, please think twice about ditching the system, as you can see it has great fans. J/S have great reputation and spares are easily obtained.

southcoastrgi

i will stick to what i said, they are open vented & no different to any other open vented boiler, ventalation should be taken from the outside not just from another room, the foam seal on the ridge tile falls to pieces, the bolts that hold the flue to the ridge tile rust if they are metal & fall to bits, if they are plastic they snap, the air that comes out the vents is drawn from the room the unit is in so yes the ducts & grills get full of dust over time, people block up the vents so you don't have cold air streaming in,

totally outdated i'd get rid cy

Bettie

I have a J&S warm air system and would never change, I replaced it a few years ago, the old one was knackered and needed to get rid of the asbestos in the flue and door. I clean the inside of the ducts every year or so by vacuuming, clean the filter maybe once a month, The air intake to the room is in a cupboard nearby so its not draughty but that cupboard /larder is always cool. I get the system serviced once a year. It's brilliant. I don't have the hot water connected, have a multi point for that.